Redlayn

“That tickles.” She chuckles and shifts a bit in her seat. The touch of the brush's bristles send shivers down her spine, but she tries to endure it. I give her a faint kiss on her shoulder. “I know it does, but hey, you agreed to it.” She nods and I continue painting.

The brush trails along her skin, like a dancer on the dance floor enthralling her audience with light movements. As my brush reaches to dabble in more red, it is only met with a tiny splatter on the palette, marking the spot where the paint once was. I scan the ground looking for a refill, yet there is none. Puzzled, I stare at the ground for a while. I swear I put enough paint near me so I didn't have to get up, but it seems that my mind is playing tricks on me. She turns around and asks what's wrong. I let her know I ran out of paint and will go fetch a refill. I turn around on the stool and get up, walking towards the cabinet with my paint supplies. I rummage through it for a bit before finding the red paint. I smile in victory and turn around to go back to painting, but she's gone. “Izzy?” I call out, yet there is no response. The air turns cold and an icy chill runs down my spine. She couldn't have left... I would have heard her. Looking around the room, I notice a painting covered up in one of the corners. That's weird... I don't remember having a work in progress that size. I walk over to the painting and take the cover off. A pair of blue eyes meets my gaze, and I realize to whom they belong. My breathing becomes heavy. I gasp for air, yet I cannot push it through my lungs. I fall to my knees clutching my head. Ah yes... She did leave... forever, unable to return... My only hope of seeing her whole again, enshrined in this painting before me, mocking me to pick up the brush again if I dare. And so I do. I pick up the brush with my trembling hands. I paint uneasy strokes, barely registering the motions through the tears welling in my eyes. My chest tightens, my heart screams out and my soul wails in sorrow with every stroke. The brush and palette fall out of my hands. My arms follow, falling next to my body in defeat. My hand brushes against an object in my pocket. I reach for it. It's a lighter. I light the flame. it's right there before me, unwavering, existing in peace. I move it towards the lower right corner of the painting. The flames slowly envelop the canvas, hugging the image of my beloved. And so I too join the flames in hugging my beloved, close to my heart. They pull me into the embrace. The icy air around me finally turns warm again.

Made with love by Red.